Constellations
by Seeker of the Stars
Summary: Just as summer rolls around, Dipper is whisked away by Social Services from his abusive father, and sent back to Gravity Falls. Broken and not what he used to be, he struggles to readjust to his old life and the people around him. Only, Gravity Falls hasn't changed much, and while some old dangers are clawing back their way into his life, new ones make it harder for him to recover.
1. Prolouge

**Hello!**

 **I present to you, my first Gravity Falls fanficiton! I hope everyone enjoys!**

* * *

Prologue

Spring was finally coming to an end. In the past, this would make Dipper excited for summer, but now, all he wished it would never come.

Rain was pounding down on their house. Dipper watched from behind a blurred window as the streets filled up with small puddles of water. He nearly pushed himself against the glass, yearning to be outside in the cool weather. It would be much better than being at home.

The authorities had come only two hours ago, but everything was still a mess. There were dozens of people buzzing behind him in the house, yelling about paperwork and marking up various things around their home. The living room only had about half a dozen people in it, so Dipper had decided to stay there quietly, and just peer out the window until everything was over.

It must have been his math teacher. She must have seen the bruises on his arms in that one moment in class where his sleeves rolled up by accident. She had given him an odd look – but he hadn't paid mind to it at all at the time. After three years of living with his abusive father, he doubted anyone would notice his injuries. He had grown better at hiding them – wearing long sleeves constantly and stealing makeup from stores to conceal wounds on places like his face. He didn't think it was possible for him to get caught – but she must have seen them, and thus, authorities had swarmed his house not too long ago.

Martin Pines was an alcoholic, abusive father. If someone had said that to Dipper three years ago, before the divorce, he would've slapped them, but now, the statement was a true, horrible reality. Ever since Dipper and Mabel's parents divorced two years ago, after they returned from Gravity Falls in summer, life had changed. Their parents had decided to divorce. It happened too fast – Dipper barely understood the reason behind it. He didn't have time to question anything as the divorce and custody process began.

Their mother was a lot like Mabel – loud, bright, energetic – and so when it was said that she could only take one of the twins, it's no wonder that she took Mabel. The mother-daughter duo had adjusted to life quickly, and everything was great there. Their mother's guilt over the whole situation resulted in her spoiling Mabel. She had grown even more confident and bright, becoming a popular girl at his old school. When Dipper's father took him, however, they moved a few states away. Life was awkward at first, but Dipper did what he could to make things work. They didn't, though, and when his father started to drink – and eventually hit him – he felt as though his childhood had never happened.

As people buzzed behind him, Dipper thought about Mabel. They had only video-chatted now and then, barely once a month. Their conversations were more Mabel speaking and him listening. Those conversations too had come to an end months ago. Their relationship felt so distant, but Dipper was still thinking about her. What would she think when the authorities told them about what happened?

And even worse, would Dipper have to go live with his mother and sister?

The question made him feel a little sick. He didn't want to live with the mother who had given him up so easily – not even bothering to say goodbye as his father and he moved away. He didn't want to see his sister - who would give him pitying looks around the house everyday.

He just wanted to go _home._

But he had no home.

"Mason Pines?"

It took Dipper a few seconds to react to his legal name. He slowly turned away from the window. A tall woman was standing over him, wearing a beige trench coat, holding her phone close. Concerned green eyes stared into his own, and she bended down a bit to come close to face-to-face with the fifteen-year-old. Dipper did his best not to move away at the proximity. He didn't like it when someone came close.

"We have your father in our custody right now," she said. "You're safe."

 _You're safe._

Dipper nodded.

 _Finally, safe._

"Do you have any other family that you want to stay with for time being?"

He had more family, yes. His mother, his sister… his Grunkles. He knew that in a scenario like this, it only made sense for him to say his mother, but…

"I h-have two g-great-uncles…" his voice was barely a whisper. Speaking – he hated speaking. Still, he forced himself to continue. "They're in G-Gravity Falls."

Miraculously, the woman heard him, and she typed it down on her phone. "We'll have you moved there until everything's sorted out. Everything's going to be okay, alright?"

She was looking at him like he was a piece of fragile china – ready to break if not handled properly. He managed another nod, not caring about the look she was giving him.

He had a home, he realized. It may have been three years since he had been there – but _he had a home._

Gravity Falls.

 _You're safe._

* * *

 **And that concludes the prologue~** **Rest assured, future chapters will be longer! I hope you guys liked it, the next chapter will be up soon!**

 **Please leave behind your thoughts and review~!**


	2. Chapter One

**Hi!**

 **Before the story begins, I'd like to say thank you to you guys for the kind support! I really appreciate it, and it motivates me to keep pushing! Thank you!**

 **Now, onto the story!**

* * *

Chapter One

"In these cases, typically, you'd be placed with the next of your kin, but due to certain circumstances, we're placing you with your great-uncles, as you had hoped," Leslie, his temporary escort, droned. "We should be in Gravity Falls within the next few hours, so just sit tight and…"

Dipper tuned her out, not bothering to look at the woman sitting on the bus seat beside him. She had been talking for some time about his situation, but he couldn't keep himself focused. His mind would wander to other things – returning to Gravity Falls, seeing his Grunkles again, Bill Cipher…

Dipper shivered. It was odd that Bill was one of the things he associated with his time spent in Gravity Falls. He was the cause of Dipper's nightmares for months when he turned thirteen. However, the nightmares morphed into his father a few months later, and the triangular demon was forgotten. Now that Dipper was returning to Gravity Falls again though…

No, he didn't want to think about that. He also didn't want to think about his mother, father, sister, Grunkles – anyone. He knew he had to think of a way to provide explanation as to why he didn't tell anyone about the abuse the faced to many people – his Grunkles, authorities, mother and sister… But it could wait. No one had pressured him for answers yet – especially after they had seen his injuries. After the hospital dressed his wounds, he was suddenly being shifted to Gravity Falls with Leslie, the tall woman from his house a few days ago.

"…given legal guardianship. So, you don't have to worry about moving from Gravity Falls," Leslie finished beside him. Dipper blinked, and then slowly nodded. The woman obviously caught on that he wasn't paying attention, because she let out a frustrated sigh and fell back on her seat. She shook her head in exasperation and opened her phone, leaving Dipper to his devices once more.

He bit his lip, and turned to look out the window. It was raining.

He didn't like rain.

* * *

"A lot of forestry," Leslie observed as they drove on the dirt path to the Mystery Shack. "Interesting."

Dipper didn't comment – he was sure she was used to his silence by now. He fiddled with his blue backpack which contained all his belongings from the house. It contained some clothes, academic books, an old iPod and headphones, and the Journal.

He hadn't looked at the Journal in two years – he couldn't bring himself to it ever since the atmosphere of his household had changed, but now, as he stared off into the forests he once so deeply cherished, his fingers itched to pull it out.

"I grew up in a rural community, you know," Leslie said. She was likely talking to their stoic driver at this point – she knew not to expect a response from Dipper. "We had many forests…"

The sun was out now, shining ever so bright. Dipper scratched at the guaze covering the top right of his head. His birthmark, the little Dipper, was now visible because the guaze kept his hair up – and he didn't like it. He didn't like how the world could see his birthmark and the gauze. His broken face and empty eyes.

His colourless soul.

 _And here come the dark thoughts_ , he realized. One little thing – like the sun just _shining_ like it always would be – would be the start of countless dark thoughts that would make him want to scream for them to stop.

He pulled out his iPod and slipped on his headphones. Music blared into his ears within seconds as he pulled his hoodie's hood over his head and sleeves further down his arms. At least he didn't have to think now.

The car continued to drive at an excruciatingly slow pace. It was not that Dipper was eager to arrive at the Shack, it was more he wanted to get out of the car and into some fresh air. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic with every second that passed in the vehicle.

After what felt like whatever, the car stopped outside a familiar sight – the Mystery Shack. He slowly removed his headphones as Leslie looked through her purse for money to pay the driver. She put a few bills on his extended hand, and wordlessly opened the car door and stepped out. Dipper felt frozen up, suddenly the car wasn't as bad as he thought. However, Leslie's irate gaze was enough to pull him out.

As he stepped out of the car, hugging his backpack to his chest, he heard the front door of the Shack open. The Shack was only a few feet away, after all. Dipper dared to look up for a moment. He was greeted by the sight of his Grunkle Stan locking the front door – wearing his tux and fez like always. Seeing him made Dipper feel like summer from two years ago never ended. As his Grunkle turned toward them and began to make way, Dipper's eyes found the dirt ground once more.

"Ah, Stanford Pines?" Leslie's inquired as footsteps approached them.

"Um, yeah, sure, that's me," Stan voice grew closer. "Kid! Is that you? You look… different."

Dipper felt his heart accelerate, and he began to nervously fiddle with the straps of his backpack as he attempted to nod, still not looking up. He heard Leslie sigh beside him. "He's been quiet ever since we found him. He's barely said more than a few sentences within the last few days."

A silence of few seconds, and then a sigh. "I see."

"I have some papers I need you to sign, and somethings I need to explain to you regarding Mason's residence and health, but aside from that, we should be good," Leslie mused. Her purse clicked open, and some papers rustled around. "So, these papers are basically his…"

Dipper looked toward the forest on his right. It felt like forever since he had laid his eyes on those evergreen trees. He took a few steps towards the forest, conversation behind him forgotten. It was almost like he was being pulled toward the forest…

And just as that thought crossed his mind, a blue light flash before him. For a few seconds, a blue light glowed from within the forest, light peering out toward him from between every other tree trunk.

And then it was gone.

The boy blinked. Then he rubbed his eyes. But no, nothing was there. No light at all.

"Kid!" Stan's voice called for him. "It's time to get you settled now! Come on!"

* * *

"I can't believe that you only have a backpack," Stan huffed. He pulled out a glass from the dish rack beside the sink, placing it on the dining table before Dipper. The boy shifted in his chair as the glass clicked against the table. "They should've given you more stuff from your house."

Most of his stuff was in bad shape. Some clothes were stained with alcohol from cleaning the house the morning after his dad drank, and other clothes had grown small. There were only a few hoodies, shirts and jeans he had that could be worn outside – and they were the only ones he had been given to bring with him.

But he couldn't tell his Grunkle that.

He watched mutely as his Grunkle poured apple juice into his glass. After pouring some for himself, Stan sat across from Dipper on the table. A silence hung over them for a few moments. Dipper had his eyes averted, hesitant to drink the juice – or make any move at all. He could feel his Grunkle's eyes on him when he shakily reached for the glass. He took a small sip and put it back down.

"Dipper," Stan's voice was surprisingly soft. "You haven't said a word since you got here. Is everything okay?"

Would he have to talk? No one liked it when he talked. Talking always caused problems for him – brought unneeded attention toward him. He could get in trouble for talking, he'd be locked away again in –

 _No. You're not there anymore._

"I heard what happened," Stan said. "It's okay. You can talk to me. You're safe here."

Dipper opened his mouth to speak, but words got caught in his throat. What should he say? How should he speak? What would be the safe thing to say? What did Stan already know?

It was too much – too much thinking. Too overwhelming.

Oh goodness. Could he not do something as simple as speak?

He chocked. Tears began to spill from his eyes as he tried to keep himself from curling in on himself. He let out a strangled noise as he pulled his hood down.

It was a surprise to feel his Grunkle's arm holding him close suddenly. It took everything in him to keep himself from flinching or screaming. He heard soft whispers of reassurances from Stan, but it only seemed to encourage more tears to fall from his eyes.

He felt his mind speeding through everything from the past few years. Mabel and his summer in Gravity Falls when they were twelve, their parent's divorce, moving away with his father, the alcohol and anger…

"I-I'm s-sorry," Dipper managed between silent sobs. "I-I'm s-s-sorry Grunkle S-Stan."

"Hey, hey," Stan's hand patted his shoulder. "You have nothing to apologize, you understand that?"

He cried harder. He hadn't felt this warmth for years. He hadn't felt _any_ warmth for years.

He felt his sobs begin to die as he reluctantly pulled away from the elderly man. He allowed his hood to fall away from his head, settling back into his chair. Stan stood beside him, keeping close.

Dipper dared to look at him for a moment. Concern and worry was evident on the ex-con's face – emotions he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Are you feeling better?" Stan asked softly.

Dipper managed a stiff nod. "Y-Yeah."

"Good," the man offered him a smile. "Because we need to go shopping for some more clothes real soon. I want my great-nephew to be the best dressed kid in this town."

Dipper almost laughed. Instead, he felt a hesitant smile play on his features.

"It would help the business, of course," Stan added as he sat across the boy again.

"R-Right," Dipper said. He reached for his juice with less hesitation this time, the liquid giving some relief to his dehydrated throat. Crying took a lot out of it, it seemed. He felt Stan's gaze on him again. He also noticed the man open his mouth to speak, and then close it, seeming to think better of what he was going to say. The ex-con reached out for his own glass instead, taking a sip of the juice

"Oh, also," Stan spoke as he set his glass down. "Since there's only a few weeks of school left, I'm enrolling you in Gravity Falls High School in September instead of now. You'll have more time to adjust that way, and we can avoid the weirdness of you starting school here in June."

Dipper nodded. Then he bit his lip, a thought occurring to him. Should he speak? Stan _was_ looking at him expectantly.

"W-What about t-t-the course material I'll m-miss in the n-next few weeks?" Dipper's voice was a little shaky. "I won't be prepared for eleventh grade in September."

"Ah," Stan sat back. "You'll be doing some online cram courses for a few weeks in summer. You'll be ready to kick nerd butt by September."

The boy nodded. That _did_ sound nice.

The landline began to ring from right outside the kitchen. Stand sighed, pushing himself off the table.

"I'll be right back," he told Dipper as he stepped out into the hall. The phone stopped ringing as he heard it click upon being answered.

"Yeah?" Stan's voice was a little quiet from the hallway, but Dipper could still hear it. "Oh. Of course." A pause of a few seconds. Then, a loud _, "So soon?!"_

There was a few more seconds of silence, and the curious side of Dipper itched to get up from his seat and move closer to the exit of the kitchen so he could get a better understand of the call. He forced himself to stay put though, not wanting to cause or bring any trouble upon himself.

"Of course, I'm not mad!" Stan's voice exclaimed. "Just surprised! And unprepared! How did you even drive so fast? …Yes, yes. Just come home safe and take care of her. I can't imagine what she's going through."

The phone clicked back onto the receiver, and Stan poked his head into the room. "That was just… Nothing. Want to see your room now, kid?"

* * *

The attic was just like how Dipper remembered it. Light peered from the triangular window into the middle of the room, and on each dark side of the room was a bed, a lamp, and a desk with a chair. He recognized the new additions, but didn't comment as he set his bag on his bed.

"I was expecting you guys to come a summer ago," Stan stretched. "So I added a few things some time ago. May be a little dusty. Not allergic to dust or anything, are you?"

Dipper shook his head as memories rushed through his head. He had spent so much time up here with his sister – solving mysteries, or just chatting about _anything._ It felt weird to see her bed empty – weird to be back here again. Yet, he was in some way content. This place was his haven in the past. Maybe it could be now. It helped that Mabel wasn't here. He had a lot of feelings toward her that he didn't have time to sort through yet.

"Well," Stan looked around the room, arms crossed. "Looks like you're set. I'm downstairs if you need me. You can just unpack for now." And with that, the old man left.

Dipper stared after him as the door closed. Then he turned back to look at his room.

Home. This was home. He was home.

It was hard to feel happy with everything that happened, but he did feel relieved. He didn't have to sleep in dark rooms smelling of beer, or in fear of being attacked. He could lay here whenever he wanted to do and do whatever he wanted.

As Dipper put away clothes and found room for miscellaneous items, his mind wandered.

The rest of the summer would likely be him cooped up in his room as often as he could. Dipper doubted Stan would try to get him working in the Mystery Shack right away, especially after his panic attack downstairs. Maybe he could busy himself with course material for the coming year.

A shiver racked Dipper's body as he thought about attending school here. Seeing people, he knew in Gravity Falls after so many years. He wondered if they'd recognize him with his hoodies and silent nature. His current personality contrasted greatly from his old self.

There wasn't much to unpack. After a few minutes, Dipper was standing in the middle of the room, just looking around. The entire situation felt unreal. A few days from now, if he had been told he'd be back in Gravity Falls again, he wouldn't have believed it.

Yet here he was.

"…Food!" Stan's voice rose through the floorboards, causing Dipper to jump. What was he yelling about?

Curiosity pulled Dipper out of his room. He hesitantly peered down the staircase. Seeing no one, he silently descended.

"We don't have food! How in the world – ugh. I'll have to grab something from the grocery store," Stan was grumbling aloud.

"I'll do it," a voice offered. Dipper quickly recognized it as his Grunkle Ford's voice. His eyes widened with surprise – Grunkle Ford hadn't been here earlier. Did he just arrive from somewhere?

Dipper stood a few feet from the kitchen where the voices were coming from, hiding behind the staircase as best as he could. He didn't want to get caught, and also wasn't sure if he was up for another round of social interaction, even if it was with his childhood role model.

Perhaps it would be best for him to go back to his room. Or wander about. Anywhere but near here. Dipper shuffled backwards from the staircase and turned into the living room. As he stepped onto the burgundy carpet, he looked around the room. His eyes darted everywhere – the beige walls, the small couch in front of the even smaller TV. The girl with her back turned to him as she hummed softly to herself.

Dipper felt his heart jolt. There was a girl here.

She was as tall as he was, with hair falling till her waist. By the looks of it, she was wearing a beige cardigan and dark, ripped jeans. Stripped socks were bouncing on the spot as she looked around the room herself. She slowly began to turn toward Dipper, still observing the room. She hadn't noticed him yet, but Dipper was observing her more and more. She didn't make him feel threatened. He didn't feel like hiding.

Under her cardigan, she wore a long, white shirt with a giant purple star in the middle of it. Golden star earrings matched her shirt, dangling a few centimetres from her ear. Her brown eyes finally were making his way to him, and Dipper froze. Oh no.

This couldn't be happening.

The girl stopped looking around as her eyes settled on Dipper's. Her eyes widened as she took a step forward. Dipper stumbled back.

"Dipper?"

This was a nightmare. No, no, no. He didn't want to see her. Why couldn't he catch a break? Why couldn't he have been left alone for at least some time?

She began to approach him, but he only continued to stagger back. Her eyes were drifting over him, analyzing each part of him. His heart was pounding out of his chest.

"M-Mabel," he acknowledged shakily. "H-Hi."

* * *

 **And so it begins~**

 **Please leave behind your thoughts, more is coming soon! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter Two

**Hi~**

 **I come with a new chappie! I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the support guys! It's really wonderful and motivating, and it makes me so happy! I shall do my best to work hard and have another chappie up soon. Until then, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Two

Mabel was charging at him.

He screamed.

At that moment, Stan and Ford charged into the room, weapons in hand. Stan dropped his knife when he noticed his nephew recoiling in himself, while Ford put away his ice gun when he noticed his niece staggering to a stop before his nephew, staring at him, confused.

It took a few minutes of explanation for Dipper to calm down. In between fight and flight, he'd been picking the latter for the last few years. He couldn't expect Mabel to understand that he was someone completely different than the boy who came to Gravity Falls some time ago. He couldn't expect anyone to understand, really. The whole screaming did feel a little pathetic after he calmed down though.

He watched Ford lecture Mabel about proper greetings on the other side of the dining table, but Mabel's eyes were looking over their Grunkle's shoulder at him. Dipper tried to focus on Stan's awkward reassurances that everything was okay, even though they already established that. It was so much better than looking at his sister – who looked like she was staring at a stranger.

"…Okay. I think you're not even listening to me anymore," Stan sighed, stepping away. "Well, at least you look better. I'm going to pick up some food from the grocery store and leave you with Poindexter. That okay?"

 _No._

Dipper wouldn't say he was comfortable with Stan yet, but he did enjoy the familiarity of his company and appreciated the old man's empathy. In between his two Grunkles, Stan had a high EQ, and Ford the higher IQ. Right now, he preferred the former.

He couldn't tell his Grunkle not to leave though. Firstly, he'd have to talk. That task sounded even harder than it was before – especially with Ford and Mabel in the room. Secondly, he didn't want to appear even more vulnerable. And of course, finally, he was growing a little hungry.

Dipper didn't react, staring straight ahead to appear as though he were zoned out. He had done it often enough since his arrival for Stan to know it was a regular occurrence.

"Well," Stan audibly swallowed. "Okay. I'm going to go now. Poindexter?"

Ford stopped his lecturing, looking over his shoulder to his brother. "Grocery?" he guessed.

"Yeah. Watch the kids. Get Mabel settled. Look after Dipper. Think you can handle it?"

Ford snorted. "Well Stanley, I'd have let you know that –"

"W-W-Wait," the words flew out of Dipper's mouth without thought, surprising himself and the others in the room as everyone grew silent. He hesitantly decided to voice his question. "W-Why is M-Mabel h-h-here?"

He couldn't meet his sister's eyes as he asked, so he focused on his Grunkles, whose faces fell at the question. They exchanged a look, and then looked at his sister. When they looked back at each other, it was clear that they had conflicting opinions on how to handle the question. Stan opened his mouth to speak, but Ford beat him to it.

"Your mother's ill," Ford answered. "But she'll be fine, don't worry. You two will be able to visit her soon."

Dipper's stomach sank. He didn't want to see his mother, regardless of how ill she was. She abandoned him – she never wanted him. She gave him up without a fight knowing what sort of monster she was leaving her son with.

He'd _never_ forgive her.

And he wanted nothing to do with her.

" _Stanford!"_ Stan hissed. He looked furious, and Dipper knew that he would have preferred to sugar coat the truth if not delude him. Dipper just stayed still in his seat, heart accelerating a little as he thought about his sister's presence. Neither Grunkles properly answered his question.

"I'm just here for the summer," Mabel spoke up, as though she'd heard his thoughts. Their twin senses were working again, he'd think. Or perhaps she had noticed how neither men in the room had supplied him with much information. "Just till mom's better. If…"

"She'll be fine," Stan put in. "Don't worry about it. These things happen."

Ford's left eye twitched. "Stanley, can you be any more insensitive?"

"I can try," the man responded. Then he winced, looking at Mabel. "Sorry kid. That wasn't too nice."

Dipper dared to look at his sister, who held a weak smile at their Grunkles. For a second, he was whisked into the past where his sister wore bright sweaters and brighter smiles as she masqueraded around town with him. The girl beside him however, in her dim clothing and tired expressions seemed to be someone entirely different.

Maybe he wasn't the only one that changed.

"Uh, so," Stan spoke up after a few seconds of silence. "I'm going to go pick up some food. Poindexter, get the kids settled. Dipper barely got here a few hours ago himself too. I'll be back within half an hour."

With a pat on Dipper's shoulder, the ex-con man nodded at his brother and left, leaving Ford alone with the silent kids. He looked as uncomfortable as Dipper felt.

"Well," Ford said. "Let's get you settled then."

* * *

Mabel was staying the summer. Dipper had accepted that fact – he despised it, but he got over it quickly because there was nothing he could do to change it, and he was also certain that he'd be able to successfully avoid her all summer if he camped up in the attic for most of the summer.

But then he remembered that Mabel shared a room with him.

He felt a little sick as he watched his sister unpack on the bed beside him. Ford was downstairs, leaving the twins together. He felt uncomfortable in her presence – each time she'd look he'd feel as though she were judging him. Thinking about how he compared to her brother from two years ago. Pitying him, or maybe wanting nothing to do with him. The latter was the easiest to live with. Being near Mabel also made him realize how much he contrasted from who he used to be. Being near Mabel made him feel insecure, pathetic and weak.

But there was no way he'd object to their living arrangement. Mabel hadn't, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful to his Grunkles either. In addition to that, objecting meant talking, and talking so much wasn't good…

After a few minutes of uncomfortable, awkward silence in the attic, Stan had popped by to check in on them, and Dipper used that opportunity to excuse himself to the bathroom until dinner.

There was much to say, but more better left unspoken.

* * *

After staking it out in the bathroom for about ten minutes, Dipper realized that maybe neither of them were how they used to be. Mabel was too broken up about her mom by the looks of it, and Dipper was too mentally exhausted himself. When dinner rolled around, things seemed to only get worse when the boy found himself struggling to eat. `

He didn't like looking at knives. They made him feel afraid and exposed. Unfortunately for Dipper, a butter knife and fork was placed before him so he could dig into his chicken. He shakily pushed the knife under the table cloth when no one was looking before settling to eat, and opted to eat the mashed potatoes with his spoon instead.

Stan and Ford were talking to Mabel about school. They had tried to involve Dipper, but he'd only nod or continue to eat each time they tried.

"Oh?" Stan stabbed his chicken with his fork, not noticing Dipper flinch. "Is that so?"

"Yeah! The knitting club is great! They have all sorts of yarn and…"

The words were becoming something like a background noise now. A soft buzzing in Dipper's ears, almost. He kept his head down and continued to stare at his food, put in some now and then. Everything felt so bleak…

He suddenly felt as though all his energy was being sucked out of him. His hands felt heavier, as did his legs and head… The food looked so plain too, Dipper noted as colour disappeared on it. It was just black, grey and white, like an old movie –

Dipper's heart nearly stopped. He felt the temperature of the room begin to drop as he dared to look up.

Everyone was gone. Mabel, Stan, Ford – all gone. It was just Dipper alone in the black and white dining room. He was all by himself in the monochrome room. His heart was suddenly running a marathon. This couldn't be possible – it couldn't happen anymore. It couldn't have happened since … – he shouldn't be here!

He stumbled out of his chair, head spinning as fear spiked through his body. His eyes scanned the room as he hugged himself. This couldn't be – it wasn't possible. It –

A yellow light appeared from the ceiling, floating downward to Dipper. It was small and bright, but it was becoming more visible as it descended. It was triangular and…

His heart was running a marathon as fear coursed through his veins. He needed to get out of here – he couldn't be here when the light reached eye level.

He closed his eyes, covered his ears, and screamed as loud as he could. Something tapped against his shoulder, which prompted him to scream louder.

When his throat began to ache, he reluctantly stopped, instead just hyperventilating while slowly removing his hands from his ears and instead using them to hug himself. His breathing was loud, but over it he managed to hear voices.

"Dipper – Dipper!" arms wrapped around him, only causing him to curl up in himself slightly. "Stop it! You're safe!"

It took him a few seconds to recognize the voice as Mabel's and a few more seconds to open his eyes. Before him was a world of colour, where Mabel was holding onto him, hugging him close to her chest, while Ford stood over him, looking worried while holding a phone – no doubt ready to call an ambulance. Stan was crouched down beside him, hand on his shoulder, looking as worried as his brother while he looked at Dipper.

"You're safe," Mabel was trying to rock him back and forward. He was too dazed to move.

Was that a dream? No – he'd had dreams like that before but they'd never been completely monochrome or detailed. They were reflections of the past – and what he just had now was in the present. He suddenly felt like he was suffocating – there was too much physical contact – too much people – too much noise – too much everything.

He stumbled out of his sister's grasp, barely catching her apprehensive expression as he darted up and out of the room, running by his Grunkles to the closest exit. He couldn't be there any longer. He heard footsteps rushing behind him, voices yelling after him, but he managed to escape them as he ran outside, thoughtlessly running toward the forest. Anywhere was better than that place, be it a dark, mysterious forest in the night.

Dipper felt branches claw at his clothes as he ran. He heard owls and crickets, and felt the warm spring breeze blow his hood down, leaving his head exposed, birthmark visible.

But he kept running. He had grown familiar with the forest years ago, and though he didn't remember it as clearly as he once knew, he recognized trivial things here and there that kept him running to where he hoped he'd find a clearing of some sort far from the Shack, where he could rest.

Sure enough, he had found where he wanted to be within a few minutes. His lungs were burning as he collapsed onto the ground, hoodie digging into tree bark as he rested his head against an Oak. His legs never hurt so much before – which he almost found funny considering how bruised and scarred they were.

At least he was safe for now. From whatever the hell had happened in the dining room, from his overwhelming family. He closed his eyes and listening to the forest for a few minutes. The owls, the crickets, they he could handle.

He knew he had to go home eventually. What would his Grunkles and Mabel do when he did? By now, he was sure they thought him to be crazy. After all, that wasn't how one interacts with others at dinner.

He opened his eyes as his breathing resumed its regular pattern. The full moon illuminated the clearing before him. The evergreen trees looked dark and old, moss growing at the bottom of the barks. Dipper could stare at them forever, but then his eyes fell on something that didn't quite fit.

A boy. There was a boy his age sitting maybe a dozen feet away from him under a tree much like his own. The first thing Dipper noticed was that he seemed to be unconscious, head leaning on the boy's left shoulder, eyes shut. Then, Dipper found himself staring at his baby blue hair. It was an odd colour to dye one's hair, but it suited the boy, especially with his blue sweater and jeans.

The sweater however, wasn't just blue. There was a golden eye stretched out in the middle of the sweater, sending shivers down Dipper's spine. Creepy.

The boy's presence itself was creepy, though. Why would there be a kid his age in the forest at such an hour? He highly doubted that it was for the same reason Dipper was out here.

A part of him was telling him to turn away and leave. It was going to be around midnight soon – it would be best to return to the Shack before them. His Grunkles and sister would be worried, right?

But then another part of him bubbled with familiar curiosity. Who was that kid? What was he doing here? Was he okay?

Dipper shakily pulled himself up. Exhaustion weighed him down, he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. Between interacting with his family, screaming, and running, it had been a long day. Still, he forced himself to put one leg in front of the other as he walked closer to the boy.

Within a few seconds, he was standing over the boy. The boy seemed to be smaller in size up close. Fragile and small – just like Dipper.

Dipper kneeled down, contemplating whether or not to wake the boy. Maybe he shouldn't – he knew how hard it could be to catch a break here and there. He didn't want to ruin that for a stranger.

But Dipper didn't have to make the decision. The boy's eyes flew open just as Dipper sat down.

His eyes were glowing blue.

A scream suddenly sounded in the forest. It took Dipper a few seconds to realize that he wasn't the one screaming – it was the boy in blue. It took him even more time to process the fear in the boy's eyes as he scrambled back, only to push himself against the tree.

Dipper stared for a few seconds, mind buzzing as he hugged himself. He wasn't sure how to react. The boy appeared to be afraid of him – and he didn't know why. He was sure they'd never met before, but then why was the boy before him cowering in fear?

This was weird. And awkward. The screaming had stopped and the boy's laboured breathing was all that was audible. Dipper shifted so he was sitting cross-legged – that had to appear less intimidating, right? – and opened his mouth to speak.

To speak. This was going to be uncomfortable. He didn't like speaking but if he didn't then the trembling boy before him may pass out. But what to say? Hey, don't pass out yet, I can't handle this and everything else going on right now?

Talk about insensitive. He had to stop thinking and start speaking before he found himself going down his dark, depressing road of thoughtz.

"Hey," Dipper's voice was soft, and he surprised himself by not stuttering. "A-Are… you okay?"

The boy stared. Watery blue eyes were burning into his own, and he suddenly wasn't sure the boy heard him. He tried again. "Um, are you okay there?"

This prompted a response. The boy's eyes grew wide suddenly – as though realizing something, and his body seemed to somewhat relax. Still, he was a bit on the defensive with his arms over his chest and knees up. "S-Sir?"

A stutterer like him? Was it possible that both had been in similar circumstances?

Dipper shook his head and hesitantly inched closer. "Y-You can call me D-Dipper. Pines."

If possible, the boy's eyes widen even more.

"P-P-Pines?" the boy slumped against the stump, suddenly looking dumbfound. "O-oh. I see."

"W-What do you see?" Dipper hesitantly questioned.

The boy bit his lip and looked down at the grass for a few seconds, eyes swimming with emotion. When he looked back at Dipper, he relaxed into a small smile. It was still a little fragile, but it was something.

"Nothing." The boy looked down at his own hand, tilting his head in thought. Then he stuck it out to Dipper. "N-Nice to meet you. I'm… William, but… you could call me Will."

Dipper stared at the hand. There was something in the back of head nagging at him – something familiar about the situation he couldn't put his finger on. Still, he wasn't keen on physical contact. He blinked at the hand a few times, looking between the Will and the hand. Then, with all the will power he could muster, he shook it.

But something still felt wrong. As Dipper looked in the blue eyes of the boy, he was almost sure they were glowing.

* * *

 **And fin!**

 **For now. Next chapter coming up soon! Please leave behind your thoughts! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"Of all the places it could be," Stan's voice was growing louder with every word. He brought his fist down onto the dining table. "It had to be the forest!"

Mabel tried not to yelp as the cutlery bounced on the table. Rather than focus on her Grunkle Stan's frustration, she turned her attention to Ford, who was pacing in the kitchen, eyes narrowed at the floor as though trying to brainstorm some sort of genius plan to get to his nephew without hassle.

This was going nowhere.

Mabel silently walked to the coat hook by the entrance of the kitchen and started to pull on her jacket.

"I know the forest," Ford was mumbling to himself. "But it's been so long…"

Mabel grabbed Stan's Mystery Shack umbrella from beside the hook.

"I'm going to the forest to find Dipper," she declared. "Come with me."

Then she spun on her heel and marched out the front door.

* * *

"So, you're lost," Dipper concluded with a frown. "Are you even from around here?"

Will sheepishly smiled. "D-Define here."

After about maybe an hour of talking, both of them were stuttering less and miraculously for Dipper, he was actually sitting _near_ Will. Being near a stranger was a hard feat for him lately, so for him to be sitting beside one, only a few centimetres separating him and Will under the giant tree, was a big deal. Bark was scrapping at his hoodie again, but the closer he was to the tree, the less wet he'd get. The tree was the only thing sheltering him from the light rain. Will didn't seem to care though – he seemed to have his entire focus on interacting with Dipper. He was constantly stumbling over words and trying to position himself in a way where he'd feel safe, but would be able to face the Pines at the same time.

"Here is Gravity Falls," Dipper said slowly. "H-How do you not know where you are?"

Will managed another sheepish smile as he shrugged, staring off into the distance. "Last thing I remember seeing is my b-brother."

"Your brother?" Dipper questioned. "Is he around here? In the forest maybe?"

Will bit his lip at the question, and then fell back on the tree's trunk. His eyes fluttered shut for a second, but then with glowing blue eyes he shook his head. "No. He's not here right now."

Weird. That's what Will was. None of his responses made sense. But Dipper found him non-threatening and decent company. Talking to Will at least made him feel better than he did when he was at the Shack. Better than how he felt after he saw Bill.

Dipper swallowed. Bill. Was that even real? Or was he just losing his mind now?

He brought his knees close to his chest and sighed. His family must be worried about him. In more than one way for sure. There must be a lot of questions surrounding him now amongst them – he was sure. _Where is Dipper? Is he sane?_

"So," Dipper tried to focus on Will again. "You're l-lost."

"Y-Yeah."

"And it's your b-brother's fault."

"What?" Will turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. "It isn't his fault – he… oh."

 _Oh? Oh what?_ Dipper wondered. Still, as comfortable as he was with William, he wasn't ready to continue pushing questions down the guy's throat just yet.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the rain fall around them. Dipper's mind kept on wandering to Mabel, his Grunkles… his parents… _Bill Cipher._

He felt a little sick thinking about everything. It was much easier to keep his mind blank – but that itself was a difficult feat.

"C-Can I ask you for a favour?" Will snapped him out of his mind trance, staring at him with nervous eyes. Dipper hesitantly nodded. "Can… I try something on you?"

Try something?

His mind was suddenly running countless horrific ideas in his head. Humans can't be trusted – they could do bad things. But Will wasn't a threat. Staring at the boy ahead of him, Dipper didn't see anything scary about him. He was curled in on himself, trying to hide in his oversized sweater as best as he could. Dipper briefly thought to Mabel a few years ago – how she'd do something similar when she tried to hide away in "sweater town".

"O-Okay," Dipper finally said. Worse come to worse, he could always scream. It wasn't a favourable option, but it was something. Someone would hear him and come, right?

Will held out his hand to Dipper, motioning him to do the same. Hesitantly, Dipper held out a shaky hand toward the blue boy. When their hands touched, Dipper felt his arm begin to burn. He yelped and pulled it away, cradling it to his chest as a blue light started to form around him. Tears threatened to spill from the pain. Dipper tried to look at Will but the light around him began to glow brighter.

"Dipper!" a voice yelled from a distance. Was _that_ real? What was happening?

The same voice yelled again. "Where are you?"

Dipper couldn't respond. The burning from his arm had begun to spread across his body. It was blocking his throat, keeping him from shouting out. It was consuming him – he could feel nothing but the burn.

And the light was so bright. So, so bright.

As he passed out, all he could see was white.

* * *

Dippers list of fears had grown a lot in the past few years.

Between his father and Bill Cipher, it was hard to say who won first place. Both gave him nightmares, scars physically and mentally, and so much more that a kid his age could barely cope with. It be horrific if they combined forces… Or perhaps maybe even funny.

He felt a giggle bubble at his throat. That'd be interesting...

Okay, now he was certain he was going insane. He was laughing at his worst fears as though they'd be some source of entertainment. No wonder kids at his school found him strange.

"…Well kid, that's not the _only reason,_ you know?" A voice teased Dipper. The world was black – everything was dark, yet the voice bounced off invisible walls and echoed in Dipper's mind. "You're special. I knew it when I saw you."

That voice – Dipper knew that voice! Why couldn't he recognize it though? He opened his mouth to speak – yet no words came out.

"Hey, hey," the voice sounded somewhat displeased. "You'll have plenty of time to piece everything together when you're awake. Calm down, would ya?"

Awake? Was he asleep?

When did he fall asleep? What… What was the last thing he remembered doing again..?

Ugh, he couldn't think straight – remember anything!

"Everything will make sense when you awaken," the voice coaxed. "Ah, what a wonderful thing you'll become when I'm done with you."

 _Done? What?_

"Anyway, when you wake up," the voice began again. "Make sure you remember this – _trust no one._ Except me of course!"

The speaker broke off into maniacal laughter.

"I'm the only one who'll help you. Who _can_ help you. The rest of them are _all liars_ ," the voice paused. "But, well, you'll have to help me first. Eh, details, shmetails. What do they matter?"

 _…Help? Help who?_

"It'll make sense soon kid, relax with your questions," the voice sounded a tiny bit irritated. "Gah, so many questions, as always."

 _Of course I have questions! I don't know what's going on!_

"You will, soon," the voice sang. "Just stay away from the blue boy – and _trust no one._ Okay?"

 _Blue boy?_

A snort. "Goodness kid, you're an idiot in this state. And all states – to be honest. Ah, what plans I have for you!"

The voice's echo faded away, and a piano tune took its place, slowly growing louder. It was eerily familiar, but Dipper couldn't recognize it.

"See you soon, Pine Tree!" the voice cackled. "Have a nice awakening!"

* * *

 **And we're back!**

 **I'm working out an update schedule, sorry it's been a little rocky. I'll let you guys know once I figure it out. Hope you liked this chappie, it's a little short, a bit of a filler. I'll try to compensate that with the next one. More coming soon! Thanks for reading! Leave behind what you think!**


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Wendy Coudroy let out a yawn as she approached the Mystery Shack. Yet another day of a boring summer – and a boring job. At least she managed to convince Ford to pay her on behalf of Stanley. It wasn't much, but it would help pay for college in next year.

She reached out to the door to open it, but the door didn't budge. She let out a string of curses when she noticed the 'closed' sign beside the door. Great. She was coffee deprived and work free this morning. The latter used to be a cause of celebration, but ever since she started getting an actual pay, she really tried to stack up her shifts.

Why would the Shack be close though? Stan would never miss the opportunity to scam people unless something was _really_ wrong. Wendy stepped away from the door and stared at it apprehensively.

Perhaps she should go check on the old man and make sure he was okay.

With a tired sigh, she moved to the door of the residence of the house behind the Shack and knocked. Hopefully Stan was just having one of those days where his "old body was catching up with him". Or perhaps Ford was keeping him from conning with some scientific mumbo jumbo.

As she waited for the door to open she observed the sunrise behind her. Colour spilled out into the sky while light flooded the forest. In just a few hours, tourists would be scrambling to buy knockoffs from the Shack if they opened today.

The creaking of the door brought Wendy's attention back to the house. A fifteen-year-old girl stood before her, dull clothing and tired face. Wendy's eyes then met chocolate brown eyes she hadn't seen in years, suddenly jolting her brain into recognizing the female. She blinked. Was this because of coffee deprivation or…

"Mabel?" she asked hesitantly. "Ah, you're not a hallucination because of my lack of coffee or something, right?"

The girl cracked a weak, brace-free smile. Her voice managed to convey more emotion as she spoke. "Wendy?"

Yep. That was Mabel – regardless of how different she appeared. Wendy felt her face break off into a smile as she quickly moved to hug the girl.

"Dude, I haven't seen you in forever!" she said after a brief hug. Mabel seemed a little livelier after that, offering the redhead a grin. "I'm so glad to see you again! Here for the summer, I hope?"

"Well yeah," Mabel smiled. "Mom's not so well, so I'm back here again. It's nice to see you though!"

Wendy noted the tired expressions, change of speech and different appearance of the girl before her. It was doubtlessly Mabel, yet she was missing bright, energy-packed smiles, colourful sweaters and warm language. Mabel seemed tired and a little jumbled. Wendy avoided conveying her confusion and passed it off with a returned smile. Perhaps she was having a difficult day – or maybe she was just as coffee deprived as Wendy. Though neither explanations chalked up properly, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and asked to come in.

As Mabel shut the door behind them, Wendy's eyes darted around the foyer, looking for any traces of Stan. Hopefully the old man could explain everything. Between Mabel and the closed Shack, Wendy was starting to connect the dots. Still, a lot was missing, and she had explanations to demand for once she spotted the conman.

As the girls walked in the kitchen, Wendy's eyes caught a coffee machine near the sink. Mabel caught on within seconds. "Want some coffee?"

"Please, dude," Wendy sat down at the dining table as Mabel moved to make coffee. "Forever grateful."

Their reunion was lacking as both girls were clearly drained of energy. In addition to that, they had communicated through emails now and then over the past few months, so it wasn't like they were out of touch.

"Hey," Wendy suddenly remembered. "If you're here, is Dipper here too?"

Mabel turned on the coffee machine and responded with her back turned to the redhead after a few seconds. "Yeah. Dipping-sauce isn't well right now though, so he's resting in the attic. Tough night."

Tough night? When exactly had the two arrived anyway? Did they arrive together? Why was Dipper here anyway? Last, she remembered, they were separated by their parents' divorce.

"Is he okay?" the redhead asked first. Then she tried not too spill out too many questions at once. "When did you two arrive anyway? And hey, why didn't you tell me you were here?"

Mabel let out a soft laugh, eyes finally drifting away from the coffee machine to Wendy. "We came yesterday. Dipper in the morning, me in the afternoon. It's been so busy – I forgot to tell you. Sorry."

The brunette girl cracked an apologetical smile. Then she moved to pull out a mug from the dishrack and pour some coffee in it. "And, well, Dipper's okay. He's… sick – a fever I think, but he'll be… okay. Soon."

Her eyes grew distant as she spoke. In that moment, coffee began to overflow from the mug and spill on the kitchen counter.

"Mabel!" Wendy cut in her train of thoughts as darted for some paper towels. "The coffee!"

By the time the Mabel realized what she was doing and pulled the pitcher away, the coffee had spilled from the counter onto the tiled floor. Her eyes widened as she shakily put the pitcher down, staring at the mess before her.

Wendy began to dab paper towels on the floor, feeling more exhaustion course through her body as she bended down. After that little episode, she just planned on drinking some coffee, cornering Stan, and leaving. Clearly, something was wrong. It was odd to find Mabel by herself in the house to begin with – without her twin or either Grunkle. It would be better to leave the family on their own for the moment and not complicate things further. They were likely busy in their own tasks – or minds, by the looks of Mabel. She knew the Pines family often went through odd things together based on a few summers ago, and if she learned one thing then, it was to stay out of it and let them be until things got better.

"I'm so sorry!" Mabel hastily apologized, voice a little weak. "I didn't… I'll get the counter!"

Mabel started to lay out paper towels atop the coffee spilt counter while Wendy continued to work on the floor. A few minutes later, she found herself finally sipping her coffee as Mabel drank some milk across from her, eyes once again distant.

"You okay?" Wendy hesitantly asked after a sip. "You seem… tired."

It took Mabel a few seconds to reply again, this time with a dazed 'yeah'. Then she blinked a few times and focused on Wendy. "Ah, yeah, sorry. I'm just so tired. I haven't slept in… two days, I think."

Wendy's eyes widened. "What?"

"I couldn't sleep the night mom got… sick, which was day before yesterday. And then, when I arrived here yesterday, Dipper… also got sick. I couldn't sleep again. So…" Mabel sipped some of her milk again. "I'm a little… spacey."

"Man, that sucks," Wendy frowned. She couldn't imagine what Mabel was going through. "You should go rest up now – it's not healthy to be up so long. Your mom and Dipper will be fine, don't worry."

Though the girl agreed and nodded, Mabel's eyes betrayed worry and doubt. Wendy slowly put her half empty cup on the table and locked eyes with the her. "Hey, if you ever need to talk, I'm here, okay?"

She offered Mabel a smile, who returned it with another.

"Thanks Wendy," she murmured before she fell into a yawn. "I may take you up on that one day."

"You better," Wendy stood, supressing her own yawn as she looked around the room. "I'll be out of your hair in a sec though, I just need to find Stan. You know where the old man is?"

"With Dipper, I think," Mabel stood too. "But that was half an hour ago, so I'm not sure if he still is…"

Wendy frowned. If the conman was hovering over his nephew while he was sick, things must be serious. "Oh. Well, looks like I'm job-free for the day then."

"Probably," Mabel mused, stretching her arms over head. "I'll let him know you stopped by?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Wendy replied. She looked through the kitchen entrance at the front door. "I'll see myself out. See you later dude."

"Bye Wendy," Mabel mumbled as the redhead exited the kitchen. After a few seconds, she heard the front door creak open, and then close. Mabel allowed herself to collapse back into her chair and rest her head on the table. So tired… so sleepy…

It was probably best she take a nap. And upstairs was too… complicated…

She felt the world slip away as she fell asleep on the kitchen table.

* * *

Dipper found something about sleep enchanting.

It was like falling into a void of peaceful darkness where no one and nothing could harm you. It was a shield from the blindingly bright world and its' complications and problems. With sleep, you could just drift away without worry, without thinking. It didn't require as much energy or functions that the conscious world demanded.

The first few moments of consciousness after a long nap were blissful too. The mind was still in some sort of stasis of sleep, but it was conscious enough to feel the bliss of sleep.

"…too cold…"

The moments after, however, weren't at all as pleasant.

"…dangerous!"

For Dipper, these moments were when he'd realize life wasn't a dream. It wasn't as easy or peaceful, it wasn't as blissful. It was bright – too bright – and chaotic. These moments were the moments where his mind would start crashing memories upon him until he snapped into proper consciousness.

And so, his mind suddenly began to reel.

His dad – Bill Cipher – Mabel – Social Services – Grunkles – the Shack – William – his dad…

A silent scream coursed throughout his body as he began to recollect sensation over his body. Everything hurt – the bruises ached, the scars burned.

Alcohol – curses – screams – beer…

 _Too much, too much!_

It's all your fault – all your fault – all your fault…

Like a broken record player, the words were echoing in his head in his father's voice. Dipper remember how often the man said it – how often it felt true. How did he know it wasn't anyway?

 _All your fault, all your fault, all your fault…_

The words began to speed up to the point where they were nearly mushing into each other. Simultaneously, his body began to ache and burn more – as though he was on fire. But he couldn't move – he could barely breath.

 _Allyourfaultallyourfaultallyourfaultallyourfaultallyourfaultallyourfaultallyourfault –_

His eyes finally snapped open as he let out a short scream. He spasmed up so he was sitting and then fell into laboured breathing. The pain was fading – the voice was gone, though his ears were buzzing now.

It took a few seconds to adjust to the settings around him, and a few more to remember that he wasn't living with his father anymore. He was in the attic – Gravity Falls. He was in Gravity Falls!

Dipper then noticed a firm grip on his wrist. He followed the hairy hand on his wrist to a familiar face – Grunkle Ford. The elderly man was saying something to him – but over the buzzing, Dipper couldn't hear anything. So, he stared instead. Concern was spilled onto the man's face – eyebrows knitted together as he continued to speak urgently to Dipper.

Dipper just looked down at his bed. When had he come here?

The last thing he remembered was… Will! He was trying something and… a bright light…

Ugh, his memories still felt a little foggy. He tried to piece things together as he stared down at his bed, Grunkle momentarily forgotten. He was in the forest, and then he met Will. They shook hands and… there was a bright light. It made Dipper feel weird and pass out. And that was that.

But then, how did he get here?

Well, his family must've found him, he realized. They probably began to question Will too. What had Will done anyway? Nothing made sense.

"…hear me?" Ford's voice was beginning to break through the buzzing of Dipper's mind. "Dipper…"

Dipper looked past his Grunkle at Mabel's bed. It was empty. Where was she?

But then his attention fell on the window. Some light was coming through – a sunrise, perhaps. Was it already day? Had he been unconscious the entire night? And where was Mabel and Grunkle Stan then? Mabel should still be sleeping and Stan… Well, he wasn't sure what his Grunkle did anymore now. Maybe he was opening the Shack...?

"Attention…" the buzzing began to fade away. "Okay?"

Dipper finally focused on his Grunkle again. Though his ears weren't buzzing anymore, his mind was. He had so many questions – nothing was making sense. Why wasn't anything…

 _They're all liars._

The thought sent shivers down Dipper's spine, but he didn't know where it came from. Nobody had even said anything yet – or well, Dipper hadn't really heard anything yet.

"Dipper?" Ford spoke again. "Can you hear me now?"

Dipper blinked. Ford took this as a sign to continue speaking. "Okay, good. Now, how do you feel?"

Feel? Pained and broken – but that didn't seem like the right thing to say. Aside from that, he had nothing else to offer but a stare.

Ford frowned, and a little worry appeared on his face. "Dipper, boy, I need you to pay attention to me. Do you understand me?"

Dipper stared again. Something was nagging him at the back of his head – _trust no one._

At his great nephew's silence, Ford's frown deepened. He finally sighed and stood up. "I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to get you something to drink. It'll help you feel better."

After concluding he'd get no response from the boy for time being, the elderly man reluctantly exited the room, gently shutting the door behind him.

Dipper stared at the wooden door for a few seconds, mind momentarily blank. Then, as though he were in some sort of trance, he felt himself refocus on the present. His Grunkle – the attic – his wrist.

His wrist. It hurt. It was burning a little, but Dipper wasn't sure if he was interested in peeling off his guaze just to stare at one of his many ugly bruises. Still, his bruises didn't exactly burn, so he wasn't sure if the bruise was the cause of the burning

Curiosity once again pushed him, and he found himself focused on carefully unwrapping the guaze. Hopefully he could do it before his Grunkle returned – he didn't want to get in any more trouble than he likely already was in.

He let out a hiss of pain as he removed the final bit of guaze from his wrist. At first, he didn't really notice anything special until he realized his bruise was gone. It had vanished – all that was left was clear, unbruised skin.

And there was more. Something that hadn't been there before.

A triangle. With a top hat.

It was maybe about three centimeters in size. It looked exactly like… _Bill._ Except, it was blue.

Dipper swallowed, trying to push down fear as he inspected the tattoo-like image on his wrist. It wouldn't scratch off – and it certainly didn't look like it would wash off either. It appeared to be permanently imprinted into his skin – never to be removed.

 _Blue boy…_

Dipper kept blinked – hoping that the imprint would just _disappear._ But it didn't.

 _Trust no one._

* * *

 **And cut!  
** **I'll try to have the next chapter up soon, hope you guys enjoyed this one! Thank you for all the support!**


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Ford was a bit of a worry-wart, which Dipper was in a way, was thankful for. He had forgotten what it felt like to have someone fret over you, though at the same time, it was a little stressful. Trying to communicate, follow requests thoroughly – simple tasks like those, all supposed to speed up Dipper's recovery process, were difficult. Aside from the burning sensation in his throat (which was slowly fading), he wasn't yet fully comfortable talking to Ford just yet. He hadn't even talked to Mabel yet either – wherever she may be. The question of her location sat at the back of his head, but after a tiring morning of Ford examining Dipper, he decided to keep quiet and let the question die out.

Stan was out shopping pharmaceuticals – though he apparently was watching over Dipper with his brother while he was unconscious. The second he came back and dropped the pharmaceuticals in the room – Ford ushered him out. The examination was first priority, and the scientist didn't want any distractions.

Throughout the examination though, Dipper did his best to keep Ford from looking at his guaze-wrapped wrist. Part of the examination was applying new gauze and band-aids over Dipper – so Dipper kept flinching every time Ford moved close to the wrist. He eventually seemed to have gotten the memo and allowed the teen to reapply the gauze himself.

So now Dipper was bedridden and stuck in his bed till further instruction because he apparently had a fever. He didn't feel it though – but that was the scientist's decree. He was thankful that at least his Grunkle hadn't mentioned his outburst from last night. He couldn't explain it – he didn't want to. It was painful to even think about it.

Once Ford had left the attic, Dipper lay there for some time, drifting in and out of consciousness. He wasn't tired enough to fall asleep, but when he managed to, he woke up in a cold sweat minutes later.

 _He couldn't sleep._

Eventually, afternoon rolled by with him just staring at the ceiling, mind buzzing. There was nothing to focus on – nothing to do. He needed to do something, or his mind would eventually find its' way down a dark path of memories. Eventually, he managed to push himself up and off the bed. His legs shook as he stood, body breaking out into another run of cold sweat.

He collapsed on his bed.

 _Ugh, this is hard._

He shakily pushed himself off the bed again. His joints ached in the process, begging him to try and rest more.

This time, he managed to walk a few steps only to collapse in _Mabel's_ bed.

Thank goodness, she wasn't there.

A bubble of frustration started to cook in Dipper's stomach. Why couldn't he just stand – what was wrong with him - _could he do anything right?_

He lay there for a second, trying to supress his frustration. He was reaching an entire new level of uselessness. He couldn't even _stand_ properly, let alone walk. He tried to push down all emotions as he pushed himself up on the bed so he was sitting up.

And then he saw it.

Flames. Blue flames.

 _His bed was on fire._

* * *

Dipper associated blue flame with one being in particular.

Bill.

But the demon was dead. That was a fact. Dipper knew it. Despite the breakdown he had in the dining table, he was fairly certain that whatever was at work wasn't Bill. That however, made things more confusing (though somewhat relieving), because now he had to figure out who was messing with him.

 _Who?_

He didn't really tick anyone off too bad last time he was at Gravity Falls. He _had_ bothered quite a few creatures – but none to the point where they would try to use psychological torture and vandalism to get revenge on him. Did burning his bed count as vandalism though? Dipper wasn't sure. He continued to contemplate it as he watched his bed burn in silence. The flames engulfed his entire bed, but made no sign of spreading, as though only confined to burning his bed. And was burning even the right term? Though the bed was engulfed in flames, it remained unscorched.

He was feeling surprisingly calm about this. Numb, actually. His feelings were misplaced and jumbled. He was less likely to react to a crisis than to an actual event. He was in an odd state of calm as he watched the bed burn. He didn't feel threatened or anything, just confused.

Something was out for him.

 _Why?_

It was a little unnerving to think he had an enemy out there – but what other explanation could he draw from everything? First, the breakdown in the kitchen, then meeting Will in the forest, and of course, the mark on his hand…

Was Will the enemy – or just a pawn in the game? Or maybe he was an innocent…

There was no way of knowing. He doubted he'd see the blue boy again.

Well, there was something that he could reference to. But…

Dipper swallowed. Some things were triggers – serious triggers that sent him flying into his past of abuse. Other things were triggers that caused joyful, yet nostalgic memories to resurface. Those too had become painful because he didn't think he'd ever be in a happy place like that again.

Journal 3 was the latter sort of trigger. Thinking about it brought back vague, but happy memories of his last summer here, but he could push them away. However, once it was in front of him, there was no chance he'd escape the whiplash of memories, certain to eventually lead to bad ones. He'd be drowning in them soon – possibly to the point he'd break even more.

Dipper realized how stiff his body had become and tried to relax. He focused on the dancing flames before him – they were sort of calming. He just prayed no one walked in on the scene before him. Especially Ford – who'd no doubt think of a certain demon fast than Dipper could blink. That'd lead to disaster.

So he was on his own. He could handle it, with or without Journal 3, with or without Mabel, he'd figure it out. Survive.

That's what he did.

* * *

It took him a few days to recover and gain Ford's approval to be out of bed. In those few days, Dipper drifted in and out of sleep, exhaustion weighing more on him ever since the flame incident. Luckily, the flame had extinguished itself just before Stan had walked in to check on him – and the bed remained unburned, so Dipper didn't have to say or do much when Stan came in.

Aside from his two Grunkles, he didn't really see anyone. Anyone being Mabel, of course. For someone supposed to be sharing a room with him, he barely saw her (not that he was complaining). He felt the urge to ask his Grunkles, but words remained caught in his throat. He couldn't speak to them. It was too hard – too overwhelming. Not yet.

So between the conscious moments he had over the past bit, he saw a Grunkle here and there, and rarely a Mabel sleeping on the bed parallel to his own. When he was conscious enough, he attempted to devise a plan to solve his mystery case – but alas, consciousness didn't always come with coherency. Most of the plans he devised during that time involved baiting the enemy with a chicken. He scraped them the moment he was declared well enough to get out of bed by Ford.

His revised plan had changed drastically. He was going to find the boy in the forest, Will. He was the only one who may actually be able to provide him with some answers - the key link to the mystery. Problem was though, that his family would probably be keeping a closer eye on him henceforth, and they definitely wouldn't be letting him near the woods any time soon.

His suspicions were confirmed when Stan placed Dipper in the Shack to be "the inspector". Dipper's newly created job was supposed to be making sure no one was slacking off and to keep everyone working. It was really easy to see through Stan's idea though. His Grunkle wanted him to be supervised constantly. With Ford in the basement for the next few days, and Stan leading tours around the Shack, he was left in the surveillance of the Shack's employees, Mabel and Wendy.

The red head arrived first.

And, well, Wendy still looked amazing. Her eyes still had that spark, and so did her flamboyant personality. When she stepped into the Shack, she was laughing at something on her phone, barely in the real world. She had grown a few inches too, but aside from that, it was same old Wendy. Cool and easy going Wendy. Dipper liked the familiarity of her company at least – though he was glad that he had gotten over his crush on her from awhile back. It would have been harder to be around her otherwise.

Still, she seemed relatively surprised when she saw him.

"Dipper!" she squeaked, catching sight of him sitting behind the counter after ten minutes of scrolling through her phone by the entrance. "Hey!"

Dipper wasn't sure how to respond. He still wasn't ready for the verbal approach, so he hesitantly sent a wave at her.

She let out an airy laugh as she tucked her phone in. "Sorry. You scared me there for a moment. How's… how's it going?"

This time Dipper shrugged uncertainly. Nonverbal responses were a little stressful, but he was getting better at giving them. They were a tad bit easier with Wendy, who radiated an aura of 'no judgement'.

"Not feeling chatty, are you?" she smiled with him. "Well, we still have to catch up. Let me just open the Shack up. Be right back."

She flipped the 'Open' sign for customers to see, and then disappeared behind the souvenir racks with a small smile. Dipper watched stoically, not sure if he was required to do anything. He decided on remaining seated behind the desk.

So far, so good. The Shack was empty aside from him and Wendy – but it would soon be overrun would tourists by nine o'clock. Mabel would likely show up in the next few minutes to catch the opening too. From thereon, it would be hell. Dipper wasn't excited to see so many people at once.

He needed to get away. Getting away would be a little hard though – Mabel would likely be keeping an eye on him based on the forest incident, and he wasn't sure how much Wendy had been told about, so predicting her watchfulness was harder. Still, Dipper saw some advantages of having so many people in the Shack. If he could get over his reluctance to be near them, he may be able to lose his sister and Wendy by disappearing into the crowd. From there, granted Stan wasn't leading a tour group right outside the door, he escape to the forest and commence his search for Will.

The plan seemed a little unrealistic in Dipper's mind, given the amount of fear he felt under the prospect of submerging himself into a crowd of unknown people, but he had to keep the end goal in mind. Freedom. The forest. Finding Will.

As damaged as he was, he didn't want to believe he was broken. He refused to. He couldn't be. If Bill didn't break him all those years back, he sure as hell refused to be broken by his father's abuse. He was going to make it. He was going to get through the crowd and find Will. That was going to be his new mantra.

And those motivating thoughts were the only thing Dipper had in mind when Mabel walked in. He didn't notice her come through the door until she was standing right in front of him, on the other side of the counter.

The second his eyes focused on her, he backpedaled, nearly squealing. She was so close – so suddenly – proximatey.

Mabel's eyes widened when her brother backed away, hand reaching out for him over the counter. "Dipper!"

Dipper barely noticed when his back hit the wall – he was still trying to back away. After a few seconds, realizing his sister wasn't going to get any smaller, he stopped, gripping the end of his dark green hoodie.

He could barely hear her over his heavy breathing. "…Sorry!"

What?

Mabel swallowed. "I said, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you like that."

Dipper froze. Had he just spoken out loud?

And Mabel was apologizing. Why? It wasn't her fault he was so easily jolted – it was his. He needed to get a grip on himself. _Especially_ if he was going to execute his plan. If he couldn't handle being so close to his sister, there was no way he'd be able to weave through a crowd of tourists.

Dipper realized Mabel probably expected a reply from him as she continued to stare at him, eyes wide with worry. Probably an oral one too, considering he had just spoke to her.

No. He couldn't do it. It… He wasn't ready.

So he mustered to courage to nod at her instead. He only hoped it conveyed a 'it's okay' instead of 'hey it's not your fault I just can't do this – sorry'.

Right after that, Wendy appeared emerging from the dozens of racks of souviners, holding small purple and yellow flags in each hand.

"Hey Dipper, do you think we should use purple flags for the window, or – Mabel!" Wendy nearly jumped. "Gosh, you two really have a thing for appearing out of nowhere, don't you?"

Dipper felt the urge to point out that both him and Mabel appeared normally – she just didn't notice them at first. Instead, he managed another shrug and slowly made way to the counter again. He opted on standing a little closer to the edge this time, giving him enough space from Mabel, who remained right in front of the counter.

Mabel either didn't notice, or decided not to comment as she smiled at Wendy. "Well, I guess we're just full of mysteries then."

Dipper swallowed. Was that a reference to their old title, 'Mystery Twins', or just Mabel talking normally and Dipper being paranoid? He wasn't sure. He fought the urge to pull his hoodie over his head and retreat back to the attic at the sudden moment of nostalgia. He didn't need to cause more problems.

Wendy laughed and then the two girls fell into easy chatter. Dipper continued to awkwardly stand at the edge of the counter until a few minutes later, when the first group of tourists flooded the Shack. He opted for the spot behind the counter, right by the door, beside the cash register. This way, when the door opened, no one would see him because he'd be hidden behind the door. This guaranteed that he'd remain out of most people's line of sight for the most part. Wendy planted herself behind the cash register and Mabel took the job of welcoming people to the Shack and remarking merchandise pricing.

Dipper was just waiting for the right group to walk in – but he soon realized that there wouldn't be one. Each group that walked into the Shack within the next few hours wasn't right. They were either too big, or small. Too scary or too chatty. None of them were right. By the time lunch rolled around, Dipper felt a tinge of despair in his stomach. If things continued like this, he wasn't going to able to escape.

He camped out in the kitchen for lunch upon Wendy's suggestion. She originally planned on having a lunch break with him and Mabel there, but then she got a text and after Mabel's insisting, left. Thereon, Mabel and him were supposed to go to the kitchen to grab a snack before the next bus of tourists, but then Stan rescued Dipper from the impending awkwardness by borrowing Mabel to help him fix one of his exhibits. All in all, lunch was peaceful. Things were more eventful _after_ lunch.

After feasting upon an apple, Dipper was confused to hear chatter in the Shack – Wendy was supposed to be back in about fifteen minutes, and the next tourist bus wouldn't be here for another half an hour.

He decided on the safe approach. He slowly approach the counter – where the chatter appeared to be coming from – by hiding behind various souvenir racks, switching position to get closer every few seconds. Finally, Dipper was able to get a visual on the chatters after a few minutes of shifting.

Mabel was behind the counter, nodding at her companion while her fingers danced on the countertop. Her companion, however, stole all Dipper's attention.

Just a few feet away from Dipper stood Will, awkwardly smiling at his sister while shifting on both feet. He wore the same outfit – blue sweater and all. One of his arms had a death grip on his other's elbow. He let out a suspiciously nervous laugh at something Mabel said.

Dipper internally swore. Will was _in the shack._ This sure as hell was good news for his plan – now he didn't have to do it – but this was bad news all around in every other aspect. If Will was on the enemy side, he was likely powerful and dangerous. Having him at the Shack endangered everyone here, _especially_ Mabel. Though things were awkward between them, Dipper wouldn't let Will touch a hair on her. He needed to deal with the situation immediately.

But just before Dipper could intervene, Mabel caught sight of him and grinned. "Dipper!"

At this, Will turned around to spot the brunet half-hidden behind a souvenir rack. He had been caught. There went the element of surprise.

With red cheeks, Dipper stepped away from the rack and approached them, eyes trained on Will the entire time. Will almost seemed to shrink under his gaze, but said nothing as he was approached. Mabel was predictably oblivious to the tension, still grinning at him.

"Your friend came to visit you!" Mabel leaned forward. "I didn't know you already met someone! When did you guys meet?"

If Dipper wasn't anxious about Will's presence, he'd be more concerned about the underlying suspicion in Mabel's question. She was rightfully suspicious – Dipper had been homebound his entire return aside from the time he ran out into the forest. Still, he had more important things to worry about.

Dipper went with the oral approach with Will last time, but this time he wouldn't. Instead, he tried to pour as much anger and hate he could muster into his glare at Will in hopes of scaring him off. Based on the way Will was shrinking in on himself, and paling drastically, Dipper may have succeeded in scaring the blue-haired boy off if Wendy hadn't chosen that exact moment to return.

"Hey!" Wendy greeted them as the door closed behind her, breaking Dipper's glare as his attention automatically shifted to her. "Thanks for covering for me guys. I tried my best to come as soon as I could."

Mabel smiled at her. "No worries. Hope you had fun!"

"I had as much fun as I could with Tate chatting his head off," Wendy snorted. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "I need new friends."

Mabel laughed and Dipper almost smiled – but with Will still in the room, it was a bit hard. Wendy seemed to catch up on the newcomer seconds later.

"Oh – hey – um, friend of yours?" Wendy looked between the twins, unsure.

Mabel tilted her head toward Dipper. "Friend of Dipper's. Came to say hi."

 _He's not my friend!_ Dipper wanted to scream. _He's the enemy!_

Instead, Dipper resumed glaring at Will. This was probably the most gutsy thing he had done in a while, but hatred filled him so easily when he saw Will's face – probably because the boy held threat to him and potentially his family.

Will this time tried to focus on anything but Dipper – greeting Wendy shakily. As she enthusiastically replied, Dipper noted Will shiver under his glare and felt a small bit of triumph.

Once again, Wendy ruined Dipper's efforts. "Do you guys want to hang out? Mabel and I could take the Shack for the rest of the day."

 _What?!_ Why the hell would Dipper want to hang out _with the enemy?_

Dipper was about to start shaking his head with Will spoke up, at the same time grabbing Dipper's tattooed wrist, prompting a silent yelp. "That'd be great! I w-was really hoping to catch up with him today!"

Wendy grinned. "Awesome. Well then, we'll leave you two to it then. Feel free to hang out outside, but stay nearby. Just be out of the counter area before the tourists hit."

With that, Wendy patted Dipper on the shoulder with an encouraging smile, and left, gesturing for Mabel to come with. Mabel looked reluctant to leave, and for the first time since his return, he didn't want her to go. Their eyes locked for a split second, and Dipper prayed their unspoken twin telepathy would somehow just kick in, but then Wendy called her again, breaking their gaze as the girl looked away. Mabel's shoulders slouched when the red head appeared again by the edge of the counter with flags in hand, needing help with them. Mabel shot her twin one last lingering look, and then slowly followed Wendy to help with the flags. As soon as the girls disappeared completely, Will pulled on Dipper's wrist and against his will, dragged him out of the Shack.

Dipper struggled, but his malnourished strength was nothing before Will's. His screams fell silent as he trashed against the boy. Everything proved futile as Will succeeded in pulling him into the forest.

There was a sick irony in how earlier, Dipper wanted to find Will in the forest, but now, he was being dragged against his will through the endless evergreen patch with the blue-haired boy. Dipper's stomach turned as Will continued to drag them, now approaching an unfamiliar bit of the forest Dipper couldn't remember ever seeing. He had to get away – he needed to get away!

The scent of the forest that usually comforted Dipper now overwhelmed him. The sun that provided light in the thick forest was now fading away as they headed in deeper. The forest animals Dipper had become aquainted with years ago had disappeared.

Dipper didn't realize what was happening until the world was swallowed by monochrome. The rich, dark shade of green that decorated the trees became grey, and the ground beneath their feet was nearly black. The entire forest had fell into a monochromic scale – everything but himself and Will was devoid of all colour.

Before Dipper could react, Will released his grip. Dipper stumbled forward, steadying himself by grasping the grey bark of an evergreen as Will turned to face him. The first thing Dipper saw were his eyes.

Will's eyes were an ocean. There was a depth to them no one would ever know, a richness of blue that were hard to look away from. They twinkled, bioluminescent orbs looking into Dipper's dull brown. His hair was a tinge darker than his eyes. They floated, moving ever so lightly, as though they were trapped in zero gravity. Will's pale complexion seemed to pale even more in the Mindscape, but despite that, his skin _glowed_.

Dipper's breath caught in his throat. He was unable to move as he stared at the boy in front of him, no long looking as human as he did seconds before. Something had changed the second they stepped into the Mindscape. _A lot_ changed.

"W-Welcome to my home," Will shifted weight on his feet. "We… we need to talk."

* * *

 **TBC...**

 **So~ what do you guys think will happen next?**

 **I'll have more up soon (hopefully before the end of August, otherwise early September). Things are about to get interesting... Hope you guys liked this chappie! Tried to make it a little longer than usual!**

 **Thank you for the support and reading~! Leave behind what you think!**


	7. Chapter Six

**Hey!**

 **I apologize about how late this chappie is! A lot has been going on lately, so I'm trying to settle into a better writing schedule. I'll try to have the next chapter up _way_ sooner than this one. Chapter updates will probably fall around every two weeks now, but I'll try to have them up ASAP.**

 **Mini recap: Will kidnaps Dipper from the Shack and takes him to the forest, pulling him into the Mindscape to talk. Meanwhile, Mabel and Wendy continue to work at the Shack.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Six

Dipper didn't do talking. Not a lot anyway. He only did it when he felt he could – when his mind was in the present and he didn't feel threatened or uncomfortable by those around him.

This time, though his mind was definitely in the present, he was susceptible to Will. The 'talking' part of his brain powered down as he attempted to grasp the situation – but it was like grasping at straws. Futile. He barely processed his kidnapping and Will's inhuman form before he was pulled out of his thoughts as Will began to speak again.

"T-This is probably confusing," Will waved gestured to their monochromic surroundings. "But you've been here before, right?"

Yes – with _Bill._ The evil, triangular dream demon had pulled him here one too many times in the past. Dipper therefore associated this place with _hell._ Or at least, trauma, fear, and other negative emotions in the mix.

"Don't worry," Will stepped forward – Dipper stumbled back. "I-I mean no harm. I'm not like him."

 _Him?_ Dipper's breath got caught in his throat. How did – was Will _reading his mind?_

"Okay, I am like him, but –" Will cut himself off, looking at Dipper with wide eyes. "I-I'm not doing it on purpose! It's just, our bond if fresh, so, I-I'm hearing your thoughts!"

Dipper stumbled back even further as a pit of dread grew in his stomatch. Great. The enemy could hear his thoughts. This day kept getting better and better. And what the hell did he mean by bond? Dipper wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"The mark on your hand," Will said suddenly. "It's an indication of our bond. I, uh, sort of marked you as my ward in the forest the other day." He looked sheepish. "So now we're bonded."

There had to be a way to get out of this situation. Dipper never tried pulling himself out of the Mindscape before, but there was a first time for everything. Problem was though, how was he going to even attempt escaping the place?

"You _can't_ leave Dipper," Will looked a little exasperated. "You can't access or leave the Mindscape without a dream demon, such as myself."

Dipper froze.

Then his stomach twisted as he stared at the monster before him. It was as though the colour blue was radiating off him, producing a gentle aura-like feeling. The eye on his sweater seemed to be glowing.

And then suddenly, things began to fall into place faster than a skydiver without a parachute. Will – a brother – _dream demon._

Will was Bill's brother.

It had to be – hell, even they're names _rhymed!_ And the power, the Mindscape – everything was supporting his theory!

Dipper prayed it wasn't true – because if it were, he was _screwed._ He managed to keep himself hyperventilating. He needed to calmly think of a way out of this situation. Will couldn't be vanquished like Bill, but there had to be another way. He just needed to get a hold of himself!

"W-Woah, okay," Will stepped toward Dipper, hands held up in surrounded. The glow in his eyes had dimmed. "You're right. I'm sort of related to Bill, but – I – I'm not going to hurt you!" He looked a little upset at the fact Dipper had even thought that. "I come in peace!"

The sarcastic agreement Dipper managed in his mind must have been heard by Will, whose shoulder's slouched seconds later as he looked at the boy with a frown.

"You're stereotyping me," Will accused. He shook his head. "That's n-not fair – you've only met _one_ of my kind!"

Dipper's mind automatically flashed to Weirdmageddon, where countless demons ran wild and caused chaos. Will looked a little sheepish again as he rubbed his elbow. "Okay. _Wow._ The rumours were true. W-Well, um, those weren't _dream demons._ They were, y-you know, other kinds."

At this point, Dipper's mind was still on alert but it had shut down the idea of _'immediate threat'_ regarding Will, so all he offered was a hesitant stare. Will was blatantly reading his mind – he knew everything Dipper was thinking, so now Dipper had to start trying to filter his thoughts before they even surfaced – and he wasn't sure that was even possible. There went planning an escape plan.

"W-We're getting off topic," Will shook his head. "Look, I-I brought you here to explain things before you freaked out." The demon winced at the sarcastic tone of Dipper's anxious mind. "But clearly, it's too late for that," he muttered under his breath.

 _Then let me go!_

"N-No, I… still need to talk to you, explain things to you," Will fidgeted, eyes pleading. " _Please._ Just here me out. We're _connected_ now."

Dipper's mind didn't have to even think anything for Will to pick up on the fear, confusion and very slight bit of curiosity.

"Okay, t-time to start explaining," Will took a deep breath in. "So, here it g-goes…"

* * *

Mabel knew that it was probably nothing – but in that one moment Dipper and her eyes met she was almost sure he was anxious – or scared, maybe. But Wendy reassured her he'd be fine, and even teased her about her concern. So she forced herself to focus on working the Shack and pushed all thoughts away.

"That'll be fifty dollars," Mabel said with a smile to the elderly lady over the counter.

Still, she couldn't help but worry. She had been trying to reconnect with him, but it was clear that wasn't going to happen. Not right away at least. He flinched at sudden contact and movement, and the closest thing she got to speaking to him was the first time he saw her and uttered her name.

"Have a nice day!" She waved the exited group of tourists away. "Come back soon!"

She was probably in some cold water right now with her Grunkles too. Wendy and her were supposed to keep an eye on him, not send him off into the woods with a _stranger._ A stranger that claimed to be his friend. When that happened, she didn't know. Yet another worrisome factor that made her head spin. Ford wouldn't be out of the basement for a few days, but Stan definitely wasn't going to be happy when he found out.

"You look tired," Wendy commented as she approached the counter with a handful of keychains. "I hope you've been sleeping better."

Mabel thought about the numerous times she accidently fell asleep in unusual parts of the house – from the staircase to the sofa. It was a miracle she hadn't been scolded yet. She just didn't want to disturb Dipper while he was recovering – and thus avoided their room as much as she could. As result though, she collapsed from exhaustion too frequently and unpredictably.

"It's gotten better," she finally admitted, shrugging. "But now I end up falling asleep in the day too."

Wendy clicked her tongue. "That sucks, man. Used to happen to me too. Try to avoid sleeping till night, and you'll end up sleeping right eventually.

Mabel already knew that wasn't going to happen, so she just offered the red head a crocked smile at her rhyme and picked up a keychain. "So, what're these for?"

"Well, we've got fifteen minutes till the next group comes in and," Wendy gestured to an empty rack at the end of the counter. "We just sold out all our keychains."

"That was quick," Mabel mused, glancing at the wall clock hanging by the door. It was already two o'clock. "Hey, how long do you think until Dip's back? It's been some time."

"Soon, I'm sure," Wendy moved to the keychain rack and held one up. "Teenage boys can be pretty unconscious of time, but I'm sure he'll be back in a while. Now come here and help me with the keychains."

Mabel moved to help her friend with a glance towards the wall clock.

"Do you think –" Mabel cut herself off when she noticed a figure lurking by the door. "Grunkle Stan?"

"Do I think Grunkle Stan?" Wendy repeated, eyes still trained on the keychains as she organized by colour. "Nope. Hopefully never."

Stan's lips quirked upward at this. He was leaning against the opening to the home, dressed in suit and tie. His eyes seemed a little tired as they looked around wordlessly while Wendy continued her mindless chatter and Mabel waited for inevitable.

"Where's Dipper?" the question finally popped. Mabel felt her stomatch twist in dread as she exchanged a look with a startled Wendy.

"M-Mr. Pines," she stumbled as she turned to face the elderly man. "Ha, didn't see you there. How's it going with the tours?"

Wendy's uncharacteristic small talk didn't get past Stan's head, and Mabel was almost sure she had made it worse. The elderly man's smile had disappeared, and a familiar frown that reminded Mabel too much of her mother appeared. She felt a little sick.

"Where's Dipper?" He repeated, pushing himself away from the entrance.

Mabel hadn't condoned Dipper leaving – but she hadn't tried to stop it either. She was too torn between letting her brother have some peaceful time (which he definitely needed) with his friend, and keeping him in her sights for the rest of the day.

She knew something had gone horribly wrong. He wasn't the same, but neither was she. They both had changed after being separated, but he had it worse. He'd flinch around people and go days without talking. She was still trying to piece things together, but her attention had been hindered by selfishly keeping herself together.

She inhaled.

Stan was going to be angry. Mabel knew it. Wendy knew it. They both were under the instructions to keep an eye on Dipper for the rest of the day.

She exhaled.

"Well, you see," Wendy finally began, looking a tad bit nervous. "Some kid came in awhile ago and…"

* * *

 _I don't think I'm magical._

Will looked a little annoyed at this point. "But y-you are!"

Their conversation hadn't progressed a lot. The past bit was spent by the demon reassuring a doubtful Dipper he meant no harm so that the boy would properly listen to him without internally planning a defensive strategy every few seconds. Once Dipper deemed him safe enough to listen to, they hadn't gotten far enough for Dipper to stop doubting him.

 _Right._

Though Dipper didn't speak-think anything beyond that, Will felt a flash of sarcastic belief course through the boy's head. The demon internally groaned. This was hard.

But it had to be done. If they managed to pull this off – both of them would be safe. From Bill and _his_ Dipper.

Will tried not to curl up in on himself at the thought of Dipper's counterpart and refocused himself on the boy before him. Thank goodness the telepathic bond only went one way.

"L-Look," Will began again. Dipper eyed him from his sitting spot under the monochromic tree. "Don't g-give me that look. I – ugh – listen. Have you ever noticed something weird h-happen when you're upset?"

Dipper stared at him blankly, mind even more bare.

Will suppressed another groan.

"L-Like, weather-related?"

Dipper's mind managed to become even more blank.

The demon's shoulders sagged. He gave up. "Rain. Have y-you noticed it r-rain when you're upset?"

Dipper's body tensed as his mind shot into quick contemplation. Will felt a surge of triumph in himself – finally, he had the boy's attention.

"You have potential for elemental magic," Will continued quickly. "And more. It's all in your core. By bonding to you, I just tapped into it."

 _Core? Bond?_ The words was repeated in the boy's mind again with confusion.

Will bit his lip. This was harder to complain.

"Every living thing has a core," he chose to start with that. "Most aren't special, only biotic while they're alive. Abiotic upon death. But some cores are special – fused with magic, giving the person who possesses the core potential for magic."

Dipper's internal confusion intensified, now more hyperfixated on the word 'bond'.

"The bond I'm referring to is between a creature of magic – like me – and a magical user, such as yourself," the demon continued. "It basically makes me your magical guide of sorts – otherwise known as Guardian – until you feel ready to release me, which is typically when you're adept at magic."

The boys mind took a few seconds to process the information. Will was happy to feel the skeptism fading away, but blanched at the next thought.

 _How do I release you?_

No – they had to stay bonded for now. They had to build a strong bonder – and Dipper had yet to become adept in magic. The boy was Will's last hope at freedom from his previous magical ward. If they managed to build a stronger bond before his previous ward crossed into this dimension, Will would be _free_ from him.

But he had to be quick. Establish the bond quickly. Teach the boy magic quickly. Work as quickly as possible, before his previous ward or _Bill_ appeared. Whereabouts of his counterpart fleeted through his head for a moment. He noted to look into it later. It would be dangerous not to.

"Y-You can't r-right now," Will lied, swallowing as he brought himself back to the boy's question. "You're s-still a novice. I've yet to teach you how to properly control your magic."

At least the second part of that was true. Dipper was unexperienced with magic – and right now it was all fueled by his emotion. He caused it to rain when he was upset, and in the corners of the boy's mind, Will could see his frustration had earlier led to a fire in his room. Will could teach him control – if only the boy let him.

As Dipper mind slowly began to process everything – Will did his best to tune him out. There was so much he had to work out.

This boy had innocence his counterpart – Mason – lacked. And his core was so _pure_ – it remained a mystery as to why Bill hadn't taken the boy as his ward. Then the demon cringed, thinking of Weirdmageddon. If the rumours were indeed true, his counterpart was more interested in world domination.

Which was wrong in so many ways.

Plus, judging by the boy's state of mind, if he had Bill watching over him the past few years as he was supposed to have, he wouldn't have had to endure such domestic abuse. It was hard to pry deeper into Dipper's mind beyond that to the who and why, so the demon left it alone. He didn't need to know more beyond that – it wasn't his business.

That made Will feel a little frustrated. Dipper had both purity and potential for great power. Why wouldn't Bill take on the boy as his ward? Didn't he know how lucky he was? He didn't have an abusive, manipulative ward like Will had.

Will inhaled deeply. No need to think of Mason right now. He was going to be free of him soon anyway.

Still, Bill's lack of involvement in his ward's life as his Guardian was troubling. He had spent a lot of time with his counterpart in the past – the term brothers was almost appropriate because so. Bill was cunning and clever, there was no doubt that he knew he could accomplish anything – even world domination – through his ward. So why hadn't he done it?

 _Unless…_

Unless he had something worse cooked up. Bill by no means was domestic, and being bonded to his ward would mean being stuck with Dipper. Even such an idea could set of his psychotic counterpart with resentment toward the boy.

He needed to protect Dipper from Bill's influence by making him stronger.

"I-I know this is probably confusing, but w-we'll work on it," Will shuffled on his feet, searching for traces of understanding on the slouched boy beneath the tree. He had some investigating to do. "I-I'll see you soon."

With a snap of his fingers, the world around them collapsed into colour.

Dipper's mind was still reeling when he was released from the Mindscape. Everything felt unreal. It would be so much easier to think of everything as a dream, but he knew the Mindscape had that dream-like effect. There was no use of deluding himself from the truth – he was already grasping at straws with mental sanity anyway. No need to make things worse.

So blurry headed, the boy pulled himself up to his feet from beneath the tree and began to stumble through the forest, hoping he was correct about direction. The sunset spread warm colours over the sky above him, providing light in the evergreen forest as he trudged forward.

His mind took a few seconds to process the sunset – the time. His heart sank when he realized it had been _hours_ since he had left the Shack. He knew time varied vastly in the Mindscape in comparison to the real world, but this was a record setting amount of time for him. What felt like roughly thirty minutes translated to hours?

He was _so_ screwed.

All thoughts about the magic mumbo jumbo Will had attempted to pollute his brain with vanished as he forced himself to continue walking.

When he returned from school lately by even a few minutes – Martin Pines was not happy. His father started drinking around the same time, so if he wasn't on time, he fell victim to his father's drunken rage. It would be _horrible._

And sometimes, on the worse days, he'd be locked in the attic from what varied between hours to days.

Dipper broke out into cold sweat while his breaths quickened. This was nothing compared to the few minutes he was late from school. He was supposed to have been back _hours_ ago.

It was becoming harder to control his breathing at this point – he was borderline hyperventilating. He stopped, grasping at tree bark as he tried to calm himself, when the first drops fell.

Then more.

The boy looked up to the sky, where water began to descend from the heavens. _It was raining._

 _Have you noticed it rain when you're upset?_

Will's voice echoed in his head.

Panic seeped through him. Oh gosh – did this make it all real? Was everything – everything was real? His stomach twisted. It couldn't be – he couldn't handle anymore. He couldn't do this.

This was not helping.

Dipper's knees buckled beneath him, knees falling to brush against the wet grass. Though the tree sheltered him from most of the drizzle, each drop that managed to come through felt as heavy as a brick.

 _Inhale. Exhale._

His heart was racing. He was shutting down. Numb fingers grasped at the grass.

 _Inhale. Exhale._

If he didn't muster the strength to return to the Shack, he was certain he'd collapse in the rain while in the forest again. There was no chance in hell that either Grunkles would ever let him out again if that happened. He _had_ to return and deal with the consequences, no matter what they were.

 _Inhale. Exhale._

Okay. He could do this. Stan and Ford… they weren't his father. They weren't Martin Pines. They wouldn't beat or starve him. They wouldn't lock him away. They were… family.

 _Right?_

Dipper swallowed. He had caused them a lot of problems lately. They were bound to be mad, but whatever punishment lay at the Shack would likely be preferable over spending the night in the forest again.

With shaky breaths, he pushed himself off the ground, weak and lightheaded. He had to do this. He had to get back.

Using the support of every other tree, Dipper pushed forward until he came back to the familiar view of the Shack.

His heart sank when he spotted Ford, who wasn't supposed to be out of the basement until the next few days. Ford, who was dressed for the weather, standing on the porch of the Shack, probably ready to start looking for _him._

 _Inhale._

Dipper was so, so _screwed._

 _Exhale._


	8. Chapter Seven

**Hi!**

 **This chapter's finally up! Woohoo!**

 **Sorry it took so long! I was having some issues with my computer and lost some files when getting it fixed. There was a lot of rewriting and redrafting because of that, but hopefully, it'll be smooth sailing henceforth! This chapter was originally going to be longer, but instead, some content will be carried to the next chapter - which will hopefully be up _way_ sooner than this one! I have a lot planned for it!**

 **Thanks for the support guys! Special thanks for reminding me to update via reviews and supporting the story too! I hope you enjoy this chappie!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

 _Tick. Tock._

Dipper shivered under the blankets. He wished he could dissolve into them – cease to appear or feel. Life would be easier that way.

 _Tick. Tock._

He knew he was to blame, in some way. Why hadn't he figured out a way to escape the Mindscape? Why had he indulged Will and _listened?_

 _Tick. Tock._

He couldn't will himself to look up at his family. Grunkle Ford had rushed him back inside within seconds of spotting him shaking under a tree. He had been dried and then bundled up within seconds with a few thick blankets. There had been no immediate punishment or yelling at him yet – only coddling and worried rushing.

Grunkle Stan was getting ready to step out as well when Grunkle Ford and he entered. The ex-conman dropped everything immediately and began to fuss over him. It was a little uncharacteristic of the old man, but it felt nice to be cared about.

 _Tick. Tock._

But that was just temporary, wasn't it? Good things never lasted, and Murphy's law seemed to have taken a liking toward him. He was waiting – numb and cold – for the yelling. Pain.

 _Tick-_

"Are you feeling okay?" Mabel was the first to break the silence. She had been the least fretting in the entire process of getting him inside and buddle onto the kitchen chair. She kept distance despite her apparent worry – one less person to flinch away from.

Dipper still didn't look up, but he managed a nod.

"Good," Grunkle Stan finally spoke, voice heavy with a mix of tiredness and relief. For a second, Dipper felt that maybe – just maybe everything would be okay. But then, his heart dropped upon hearing the next words from the ex-conman's mouth.

"It's time we talk about what's going to happen now."

* * *

It was still raining.

Will knew it was Dipper. There was a light tinge of magic in the air that left the smell of pine floating around. The rain and scent had dwindled a bit since half an hour ago, but it was on and off, as though the boy couldn't decide on what emotion to feel.

Will didn't blame him. Sometimes life sucked and the cards you were dealt with were really, _really_ bad.

The demon inhaled, looking up at the stormy sky overhead. The evergreen forest trees weren't very thick – he was still getting soaked. But it was nice. He missed the forest. And if things weren't as bad as he worried they were, he could enjoy nature more in the future.

He had managed to slip into Pyronica's plane for a few minutes just seconds ago. The demon was honestly terrifying (what Bill saw in her, Will would never know), but she didn't bother teasing him like she usually did. Instead, she had looked up from her pit of fire at him with bored eyes and asked him if he was there for Bill.

And that he shouldn't be, because Bill was _dead._

But that _wasn't right._ Dream demons were to exist as long as the earth did – they couldn't be destroyed otherwise. But one look at the highlighter pink demon was enough to convince Will not to argue and return back to the forest.

If Bill was supposingly dead, then how did Will end up in this dimension? With the magical bounds and curses Mason had kept him under, there was no way he'd ever be able to open a portal himself – not without permission at least. And asides from Bill, no other demon or entity would be able to bring him to another dimension via portal.

Will exhaled and bit his lip.

 _Investigate, investigate. Time to investigate._

He began to head off in the direction he remembered the portal to have opened at. It was dark, but his bioluminescent eyes had a sort of night vision. He could see just fine and avoid walking straight into any large, evergreens.

But very step he took felt _wrong._ They were light and easy – and he was the one deciding where he was going. No shackles, no pain. It felt so _wrong._

He almost wanted to start crying, but he needed to keep himself together. He needed to be strong, he needed to make it all work. Free himself from Mason and Dipper from Bill.

 _'I can do this,'_ Will began repeating in his head. It echoed like a mantra, but the steps felt no better and he felt way too _open._ So he kept himself busy with the mantra. He tried to focus on the rain. He needed something to occupy his mind before he lost it.

After what felt like miles of walking, Will was standing right where he had first appeared in the alternate dimension. It was in the middle of a clearing. All around him were tall, dark evergreen trees. Moss was growing on most, and he was sure nearly all of them hosted some animal – squirrels, birds, crickets. Definitely crickets – there was a lot of cricketing going on all around him.

But there was nothing really remarkable about this place, which was weird, because Bill (if it was him) would definitely have opened a portal at a place of significance – a place that was important for him to be at. Yet, nothing. No demonic magic in the air, no ruin markings on any trees. Nothing.

The blue demon ran his hand through his hair with a shaky sigh.

So, it wasn't Bill. It couldn't be – right? The biggest clue to it being his counterpart who opened the portal would've been some sort of relic or enchantment in this very area. But this place was empty. So who – who could it have –

Blue. Everything was suddenly blue – he couldn't see anything but –

Constellations. A little dipper.

 _No – no – it wasn't possible – only a dream demon could open a portal!_

He was frozen – eyes wide and heart pounding. Before him, a six-foot-tall oval shone. It was blue, and moving as though it contained a mini ocean. The top of a head had appeared, peaking into the dimension – hair combed up, constellations visible. Then an arm, teal silk over milky skin.

Then – it flickered.

The portal, the head and arm. It all flickered, once. Twice.

Then it was gone.

He was alone in the dark forest again, save for the crickets. He crumbled to the ground, hands gripping the dark soil as he tried not to hyperventilate.

It was just an illusion. It wasn't real – it wasn't real – it wasn't –

It was Bill. To let him know he was here, to know he was _watching._

For the first time in this dimension, Will felt as though he as though he were _doomed._


End file.
